UAE MINISTER OF STATE FOR ADVANCED SCIENCES VISITS THE BOROUGE INNOVATION CENTRE IN ABU DHABI

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – 8 July 2018: Her Excellency Sarah Al Amiri, UAE Minister of State for Advanced Sciences, visited the Borouge Innovation Centre in Abu Dhabi on 4 July 2018, touring its facilities, which include advanced equipment, extensive scientific laboratories, and application development resources for advanced plastics solutions.

During the tour, Her Excellency met with the Emirati and international scientists and researchers who, armed with the most advanced technologies from Borealis, work hard to come up with advanced plastics solutions that meet customers’ needs, enhance their productivity and improve their cost effectiveness. The tour also covered the Centre’s Intellectual Property Right (IPR) department, highlighting its key role in enabling Borouge to file more than 30% of all patents registered by UAE applicants in the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) database.

“Scientific advancement is a pillar of sustainable development,” H.E. Al Amiri asserted. “The partnership between the government and the private sector is essential, as it serves to harmonise efforts and creative energies, promote the exchange of knowledge and expertise, and enable the science sector to be a major supporter in achieving the vision of our leadership, which seeks to build a diversified, sustainable and knowledge-based economy. This, in turn, catalyses the development of the vital sectors and increases their competitiveness, in line with the UAE Centennial 2071 Plan, which sets the UAE’s visionary aspirations towards greater advancement.

“I am delighted to be visiting the Borouge Innovation Centre and exploring its advanced technologies. I take pride in the UAE nationals I met here, who are contributing to the development of the refineries and petrochemicals sector, and playing a pivotal role in enhancing the UAE's innovative capabilities in the field,” Her Excellency added.

For his part, Ahmed Omar Abdulla, CEO of Abu Dhabi Polymers Company (Borouge), said: “Having one of the most remarkable R&D centres in the Middle East region, Borouge Innovation Centre enables us to maintain our leading position as provider of innovative and sustainable plastics solutions that create value to our customers. The Centre efficiently contributes to our success in delivering boundary-pushing solutions that are INSPIRING TOMORROW, unlocking growth opportunities and enabling us to address the challenges faced by our customers.”

Her Excellency engaged officials from the Centre in a discussion, exploring prospects for cooperation in order to achieve the National Advanced Science Agenda 2031, which embodies the UAE’s scientific ambitions, and helps achieve the objectives of the UAE Centennial 2071 Plan through three consecutive implementation schemes, starting with the 2018-2021 Plan.

Developing sectors of strategic importance is top-priority in the Agenda, which includes a total of 8 science-centric priorities: researching the future of natural resources, developing the sustainable energy sector, promoting water security, developing an advanced scientific system for food security, developing the advanced industrial sector, building an integrated logistical platform, and finally, developing core and strategic industries.

Committed to enhancing the creative mindset of our people

As part of its strategy to develop the creative mindset of its people and attract youth talents into polymers science, Borouge provided an opportunity for 15 students from Khalifa University and the Petroleum Institute, who are currently completing their two-month internship at the Borouge Innovation Centre, to join the reception of Her Excellency at the Centre and be inspired by her encouraging perspective on the role of science in developing nations.